


Splish Splash

by HookedonCS



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: domestic family feels, mentions of Emma Jones, mentions of Liam Jones - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 20:22:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3354056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HookedonCS/pseuds/HookedonCS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for Abby, @tumbling-addicts-anonymous. I was her CSSV, and I had a great time talking with her!<br/>For her gift, we talked about CS babies. And we both agreed on Liam and Leia are the future prince and princess to grace the lives of our incredible ship… So, I completely adored your vision of Leia, and I was inspired by  this gifset.<br/>Life has been really busy lately, and I’m just happy I finished this on time. I hope you like it, Abby! I know that this was a Valentine’s project, so I hope that you don’t mind that this doesn’t contain Valentine’s feels, but instead future domestic family feels…</p>
    </blockquote>





	Splish Splash

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Abby, @tumbling-addicts-anonymous. I was her CSSV, and I had a great time talking with her!  
> For her gift, we talked about CS babies. And we both agreed on Liam and Leia are the future prince and princess to grace the lives of our incredible ship… So, I completely adored your vision of Leia, and I was inspired by this gifset.  
> Life has been really busy lately, and I’m just happy I finished this on time. I hope you like it, Abby! I know that this was a Valentine’s project, so I hope that you don’t mind that this doesn’t contain Valentine’s feels, but instead future domestic family feels…

He knew that it was more or less a fact for most children, but trying to get Leia through her nightly bath seemed to Killian to be even more of a difficult task. Her brother hadn’t been that way when he was five.  


Liam is also a boy, was Emma’s answer for the difference. And, she takes after you: she’s a lover of the water. And you love it…  


It was that explanation that made Killian smile as he watched Leia dip down low in the water, her chin and mouth disappearing underneath the water that was already shoulder-level. Yes, that’s how her tub had to be filled. She made it her own personal swimming hole for as long as they let her do so- which sometimes could be half an hour. It wasn’t until her body was pink and pruned from fingers to toes before she would allow herself to be removed.  


“Careful now, love,” Killian warned, watching her experiment with that water level.  


Those bright eyes were twinkling up at him. It was then, all of a sudden, that she popped up from the tub, splishing and splashing all the way.  


She was reckless, this young one, Killian realized for the umpteenth time as he watched Leia practically dive from one end of the tub to the other. Crouched down beside the tub, there was only a hint of a smile on his face as he tried to remember that that recklessness was not completely without caution. And that the tub, with its protective mat, was not deep enough to cause any harm as long as he was near. There was still a part of him that wondered if there should be no smile at all- instead there should have been a hint of sternness where her rebellion came into play. But in front of him, he saw a mixture of himself and Emma. So how could he possibly be strict in a moment like this?  


“Leia, love.” Killian strived for a deeper tone, hoping against hope that it would be enough. “May I wash your hair now?”  


She popped up from the slumping mode that had made her whole body to her shoulders disappeared under water, now standing up pink as could be.  


“Right now, Daddy?”  


He didn’t have time to fall for those big mysterious steel grey eyes and the pink mouth that had formed a perfect small O. Because she had once again splashed her way back onto the floor of the tub.  


“Aye, little lady.” An eyebrow rose sharply as his hand found her head. His missed the spiraling curls that were distinctly Leia (although they did remind him at times, when he let his mind go there, of his brother Liam. And whenever he did think of seeing traits of the extended Jones’ family in either his Leia or his own Liam, it sent a warm spot deep in his belly).The tight black as night ringlets that were normally full and thick were instead plastered to her head, only making those eyes pop even more.  


“But…”  


He saw the wheels turning. He saw her indecision and need for compromise as she began to wade in the water, her arms held out to her side to help balance her.  


Killian’s hand smoothed over her head, waiting patiently for Leia to finish that thought. She was thinking of some type of barter, and it was adorable.  


“Daddy?” she whispered. The way those unique eyes- that were not quite his and not quite her mother’s- lingered on his face with a fair amount of curiosity piqued his own interest..  


“Yes, Leia?”  


“You can wash my hair, Daddy,” she said as she scrambled back up to stand, “if you let me wash your beard.”  


Aye, and there was the rub!  


And her small grabby hands came up to reach for his bearded cheeks and smoothed over his chin.  


“That is the deal you want to make?” Killian asked her. There was a slight turn of his chin there, watching her closely while in deep thought. And her fingers smoothed over the underside of his chin, rubbing and rubbing.  


“Yes,” she answered with a single nod of her head.  


“Then the deal is struck, my love.” This time, with those fingers roaming the entire bottom part of his face, it was a little more difficult to keep that smile in.  


He reached for the shampoo bottle that sat on the edge of the tub.  


“How about we start with you, yes?” he murmured. And he waited until she sat back down in the tub before squeezing just enough of the thick soap right at the top of her head.  


His fingers massaged gently over her head and into her hair. Even with their deal, he knew his daughter. He knew that it wouldn’t be long before the act of sitting patiently would be lost on her. But for now…  


Leia’s hands skimmed over the top of the water, creating a rippling effect. She watched with a curiosity as the ripples pooled out, widening throughout and floating her bath toys away.  


It wasn’t long before she lost interest there, her hands finding the top of her head and shadowing his hand. But her eyes, those beautiful bright eyes, lay mysteriously on him.  


Killian was cautious as to if he really wanted to ask what it was that she was thinking. Although she looked as if there was something going on in that mind of hers, he didn’t know if he should start something that he figured would begin her on a new tangent. But her eyes never left him. And her sudden smile only caused him to smile as well.  


“What is it, my love?” Killian finally gave in and asked.  


He watched with amusement as she quickly slid away from him, her head dipping backwards into the water and rinsing soap from it.  


“Your turn, Daddy,” she announced. And she was up again, holding out her hand and waiting.  


Waiting for the shampoo to be deposited in her palm because it was now his turned to be washed.  


He had done just as she had wanted him to! She had waited him out and then pounced at the right moment. Ah, his clever lass!  


It wasn’t all play, Killian noted, as her fingers smoothed across either side of his cheeks. And those grey eyes watched intently as she performed the task.  


This wasn’t an occurrence that happened all the time. Maybe that’s why it made his heart swell to have her turn her attention towards him when it was absolutely a time that she loved her play.  


Leia.  


She was his youngest. His little princess. And she had stolen his heart right from day one.  


Killian hadn’t known. He had wondered what it would be like to have a daughter after only knowing seeing the rearing of boys.  


If she takes after anyone in her family, then the differences will be subtle, Emma had warned. If she’s more delicate princess than anything else, then I will be surprised.  


And Leia had her moments, Killian thought with a smile as her teeth clamped over her bottom lip when that soap suddenly covered the tip of his nose. Her smile was apologetic as she smeared more suds across his face. And there was finally a giggle that escaped her mouth at the scene being set.  


“Sorry.”  


Sometimes she was a little princess. Sometimes she enjoyed the occasional tea party with Mommy, Daddy, and whoever she turned those eyes on. And those were the moments that had left him in awe. How this little thing had turned the once feared pirate into the loved and lovable man in front of her, he didn’t know. But he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.  


“There.” And Leia had taken what was left of the water she’d scooped in the cups of her hands to his face and rinsed it “clean”. “All done, Daddy.”  


Killian felt the wetness as the water clung to his beard. He was hit by a sharp tug of something that he equated to all the feelings he had for his little girl.  


“Are you sure?” he asked her with squinted eyes. His hand slid down the front of his face, cleaning himself up just a bit.  


She dunked herself back down, taking a seat back in the tub.  


“I’m sure.”  


“Then we shall finish up with your bath,” Killian suggested to her.  


It was actually surprising that she sat there still for him this time. But he took advantage of her calm demeanor to get as much of her washed before that fact was no more.  


Calm was one thing. Chatter was another. And he enjoyed listening to her questions. He enjoyed giving each one precedent- with each getting some time and answering with much thought.  


It was these moments with his daughter that he cherished more than anything. When Leia was… Leia. When she reminded him of Emma and himself. When she reminded him of… what family now was to him and for him.  


How had one being been able to create all of that in him? Well, it was just the mystery of a five-year-old princess(pirate).  


“What, Daddy?”  


She had been watching him with such curiosity in her eyes. He hadn’t noticed that he had paused, had been watching her in his reverie.  


“Nothing, love,” he assured her softly. “Let’s finish with your bath, and then mommy can read you your favorite bedtime story, yes?”  


And Leia smiled up at him, her entire face glowing in delight.  


“Okay, Daddy.”  


Killian nodded, grabbing at her towel and helping to finish the actual task of washing up.  


He smiled again to himself. This infinitesimal fraction of his day was one that he enjoyed. And it was one of many moments that filled his day to day life. A life that was full of family and happiness and…  


And he wouldn’t give this up for anything in all the realms.  


“Are you sure that you’re okay, Daddy?”  


Killian smiled at that, because she was such an intuitive little thing. (Where did she inherit that from, hm?) But he kept the laugh that wanted to burst out of him on the inside.  


“I’m sure, Leia.”  


There was still a stain of curiosity on her face- that mixture that was so unique to Leia. But it was more than that.  


Her nod of understanding made the smile on his face grow.  


This wasn’t new, this life- their lives. It had been years, they’d had many… many years. And yet, it was moments like this one here that he lived on. Moments like this that drove him to be the man that he was.  


Killian knew that he could pinpoint the exact moment that his life had changed- the catalyst that had made this reality belong to him.  


So he searched that little face for traces of the woman who had made it all possible. And, hidden between all those Jones’ features- Liam, from the heaven’s above, do you see this, brother?- he saw Emma in his daughter.  


Life- his life- was a story that he or no one else could have ever expected. Not for Captain Hook. Because who would have thought that Captain Hook could have a happy ending?


End file.
